I love the biggest international bowling tournaments for women because the best players and teams from all over the world compete in them. Unlike professional PWBA and WTBA tournaments and regional amateur tournaments such as the Asian Games, PABCON, and Pan American games which draw either individuals or individuals and teams from what tends to be a fairly narrow range of countries and which are often not streamed here in the States or at least not comprehensively so, the World Bowling Women’s Championships is streamed comprehensively in the States throughout qualifying and perhaps also finals and semi-final rounds, and it features most of the best female players from the world over.
One of the countries that sends players and teams to the World Championships that I seldom if ever get to see elsewise is Korea. Unlike Asian countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan, and even China, and for reasons I don’t understand, I never see Korean women competing in PWBA or WTBA tournaments, and I think that’s a real shame. Why is that? Because Korea has some outstanding women bowlers and teams that have shown themselves plenty capable of competing head-to-head with the best players and teams anywhere. And they’re proving it so far in the World Championships.
As I reported yesterday, Team Korea member Nayoung Lee led singles qualifying Saturday, and what I didn’t report is that five of the six Team Korea members placed in the top 34 in the field of 176. I don’t think any other team placed so many that high. And then yesterday, one of their teams placed second in doubles qualifying just 29 pins behind a powerhouse Colombian team. And another Colombian team placed third in the group of four teams advancing to the semi-finals on Thursday, followed by a Swedish team in the fourth spot and two more Swedish teams below them in the fifth and sixth spots. A USA team finished seventh.
Incidentally, I’m writing this blogpost after the first three-game block of qualifying for trios, and Korea has a team in second, behind a Colombian team, and another team in fifth. A USA team currently sits precariously in fourth. They’ll all bowl three more games of qualifying this afternoon, and, as with the other events, only the top four placers will advance to the semifinals in a brutally brief elimination process.
I wish I didn’t have to say it, because I think elite bowling and elite bowling coverage face more than their share of criticism and pandemic negativity, but I’m hugely disappointed with Dailymotion’s live-streaming so far. I don’t know how much, if any, of it is their fault as opposed to South Point’s data-handling capability and other infrastructural components and functions outside Dailymotion’s control. But to be blunt, the streaming has sucked. Often times, only one stream has been up when five were supposed to be. And, just as with Saturday, yesterday and today I’ve frequently found a stream I was watching intently, as I followed my favorite players and teams, buffering and then stopping altogether followed by a dreaded “Server Error” message.
Some might say I should just be grateful the Championships are being streamed to any extent, and I am. But I can be and am both grateful for what coverage there is and disappointed, frustrated, and sometimes downright angry over how spotty and limited it’s often been.
2019 World Bowling Women’s Championships: Day Two
